For decades nations in the Mideast and North Africa have drained aquifers, sucked the salt from seawater and diverted the Nile to make the deserts bloom. But those projects were so costly and used so much water that it remained far more practical to import food than to produce it. Today, some countries import 90 percent or more of their staples.

Now, the worldwide food crisis is making many countries in this politically volatile region rethink that math.

Economists say that rather than seeking to become self-sufficient with food, countries in this region should grow crops for which they have a competitive advantage, like produce or flowers, which do not require much water and can be exported for top dollar.

[Read](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/worldbusiness/21arabfood.html “Read the Article”) (New York Times)